UK manufacturing supports award-winning automation performance

Delta Electronics Inc. is the world's largest provider of switching power supplies and a major source for power management solutions, components, visual displays, industrial automation, networking products and renewable energy products. Headquartered in Taiwan, Delta has manufacturing plants and sales operations worldwide.

It has been represented in the UK by Softstart for some time, with 2013 seeing sales increase by 80 per cent and a further doubling forecast for this year. Managing director Stuart Harvey explains: "We represent Delta and several companies. The companies all complement one another. Thus we have created a portfolio of automation products that cover just about every possible requirement. We also have a system building capability that has seen us working on major projects around the world."

The Delta products now represent about one-third of Softstart's overall business. Harvey explains his strategy: "It is no good having me-too products if you want to succeed in automation - there are too many established major players. You have to bring something extra to the party. Softstart's proven engineering skills are complemented by Delta products' ease of integration. We can build a panel from scratch or re-engineer an existing one very quickly indeed.

"Then we can ice the cake by showing the client how easy the Delta equipment is to operate."

Softstart says it is benefitting from several trends in UK industry, including the general recovery after several tough years, some reshoring of production previously jobbed-out overseas, and a particular growth in its home region of East Anglia.

Perhaps the most important driver at the moment is integration of two or more existing production machines into autonomous systems. Harvey explains: "In the first instance, this means our sales of micro-PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and remote i/o are particularly buoyant. But the bigger picture is that UK manufacturing is becoming more integrated and therefore far more efficient. Several of our clients are now committed to increasing their automation and plant integration in stages over the coming years.

"This is how you build, maintain and develop world-class production facilities - small steps and steady improvements. And for us it is about combining the best technology and the expertise to implement systems that can be expanded again and again."

Delta has presented Softstart with an award to recognise their sales achievements. To learn more about Delta Electronics' industrial automation and switchgear products, please visit www.softstartuk.com.